Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan declared cooperatives as intrinsic to India’s agricultural and economic identity, addressing a national seminar themed “Prosperity through Cooperatives” in Mumbai. The seminar was held in recognition of the UN’s declaration of 2025 as the International Year of Cooperatives. Chouhan emphasized that agriculture, contributing 18 percent to the country’s GDP and sustaining 46 percent of the population, remains the backbone of India’s economy.
He outlined a strategic roadmap focused on increasing per hectare yields, lowering input costs, securing fair market prices, providing compensation for crop loss, and diversifying farming methods. He said the Central Government’s priorities remain food security for the 1.44 billion population, higher farmer incomes, and widespread nutrition. The Minister added that new integrated farm models are being developed to benefit smallholders, who dominate Indian agriculture.
Chouhan underscored the success of the recent ‘Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan,’ which connected agricultural scientists with farmers directly. Over 2,100 teams visited fields, shared scientific practices, gathered feedback, and identified major challenges—including the widespread use of substandard pesticides and seeds. In response, the government is preparing strict legislation to crack down on manufacturers and sellers of low-quality agricultural inputs.
He highlighted the new Market Intervention Scheme for tomato, onion, and potato crops, assuring farmers that the Centre will bear transport costs if they sell produce in other states for better prices. He also announced expanded procurement of pulses like toor, urad, and masoor, and outlined efforts to increase production and storage of soybean and oilseeds with financial assistance from the Centre.
Chouhan said upcoming meetings will be held across the country to address key crops like soybean, sugarcane, and cotton, in collaboration with ICAR and state institutions. The seminar saw participation from key leaders of cooperatives including IFFCO, KRIBHCO, NAFED, NCCF, and state banks. On the sidelines, he handed equity grants to three NAFED-supported Farmer Producer Organizations, issued franchise certificates to five FPOs, and released a book on their success stories.
